A wonderful conversation about the nature of the soul in scripture and philosophy, and about the far-reaching implications of misunderstanding the soul in our church and world today.
A wonderful conversation about the nature of the soul in scripture and philosophy, and about the far-reaching implications of misunderstanding the soul in our church and world today.
How to respond to Christians who use philosophy to defend their supernatural worldview:
The primary methodology used by the overwhelming majority of modern apologists to defend the core claims of Christianity is not historical evidence. It is philosophy. If an apologist can entice you off into the weeds of philosophy, he or she has won the debate.
So how can you avoid this ploy?
If your Christian interlocuter starts throwing out complex, sophisticated sounding philosophical arguments for the veracity of Christianity’s core claims, I suggest the following response:
I have no training in philosophy, so it would be unproductive for us to engage in a discussion of philosophical theory. However, in regards to philosophy I would like to point out the following: the fact that the majority of modern philosophers are atheists suggests that a proper understanding of philosophical principles does not automatically lead to the conclusion that your supernatural beliefs are true. So instead of debating philosophical theories, let’s discuss objective evidence for infants fathered by (holy) ghosts, the ability of human beings to walk on the surface of water, and the reanimation of brain dead corpses.
Gary, thanks for your note. However, God leaves His “tracks” in all fields, discoverable by those who are truly seeking truth. So philosophy, as well as history, can be a pointer to God (as they both can also be used poorly as a distraction). This is why CS Lewis said, “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.” (_The Weight of Glory_). But good philosophy need not be “complex, sophisticated sounding arguments”; in fact, good philosophy helps cut through confusions and bring clarity (see, for instance, the philosophical work done by JP Moreland). Finally, though philosophy has had a recent history of being dominated by atheists, this has not always been the case. And, in fact, there is currently a revival of Christian thought in philosophy, with some of the brightest and best philosophers being true followers of Christ! So my suggestion is that we pursue truth in all fields, history and philosophy included, to know what we can of God through these disciplines (as well as what we can know of Him through the Scriptures).